Zoo Sedlec Faunapark ZOO Sedlec u Mikulova

Jana

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Little suprised this little private zoo still has no thread.

So, it lies in most SE of Czechia (just north of Vienna), near town Mikulov. Mikulov is very popular with local tourists, mecca of cyclists and birdwatchers. Lies in rural vine-growing region, full of well-maintained villages and still living folklore traditions, Catholic stronghold and some UNESCO architecture gems. Its warm climate supports fauna and flora resembling more Hungary than Czechia.

The 3-ha zoo in flat terrain is hosting a mix of smaller domestic and exotic species. It started some 15 years ago like a hobby of local doctor. It got a zoo licence in 2018 and opened to visitors. It has low budget and simple exhibits but it is slowly investing and developing. Cant find any attendance figures but probably under 30.000 - it is still virtually unknown outside of the region.

Here is annual report from 2020. They had 7 employees.
It mentions investments done that year - serval house and exhibit, aviary for European rollers, reconstruction of nilgai pen, 2 new exhibits for house pigeons and a still-empty aviary. A heated house and aviary for "over-aged" animals, new cage for red-rumped agoutis. A water tank of 2000 l with local fish species. New all-year exhibit for turtles and summer exhibit for tortoises. New laboratory used by vet university students.

New species in 2020 - long-nosed viper, green bush viper, Argentine black and white tegu, green tree monitor, green iguana, Hydrosaurus?, arrow poison frogs, agouti.

Plans for 2021 - big aviary for waterfowl, new exhibit for porcupines, flamingo aviary (still not done), tank for large turtles, food kiosk for visitors.

Based on recent pics on their FB presentation, they have since acquired also small-clawed otters, blue-throated piping guan, helmeted curassow, vulturine guineafowl, yellow.and-blue macaws, parma kangeroos.

The zoo is open daily during summer season (May - September), and just at weekends in spring and autumn, closed whole winter.
 
The owner of this licenced zoo died relatively recently. Info from second hand, the zoo is going downhill since then. But it´s still open and has a licence.

Lets see if it will just naturaly dwindle and close (like most small private zoos kept alive by enthusiasm of a single owner/person). Or if family will try to sell it.
 
It looks like a prospective buyer for the little zoo has been found.

Mr. Rabina - a bussinessman with animal keeping hobby. He has a lot of exotics at home like tamarins, guerezas, tame sloth, cranes, owls, hornbills, toucanets and much more. He used to keep also tigers and leopards but I dont know if that is stil valid. (btw he is the owner of birds of paradise on show in Decin and Liberec).

FB
 
This little zoo was eventually sold to Jindrich Blahoz during this winter. The new owner runs a succsessful rodents/insects farm (aka live animal food pruducer).

The zoo is open in usual regime. Its collection suffered somewhat during the last 2 years of uncertainty. But it never lost its zoo licence. Lets hope the new owner will invest a lot into enclosure upgrades.
 
This little zoo sees some constructions works - a new monkey house and new animal kitchen. No food stall will open this summer. Reptile house is permanently closed. Entry fee is reduced because of substantialy reduced animal collection on show (ZTL is outdated).
 
An annual report for 2024 is out, but it has very sparce info. It lists animals kept so I can adjust ZTL.

It mentions the new monkey house that is under construction. It will have 13 exhibits (inside boxes and corresponding outside cages). Planned are several lemur species, tamarins, parrots. And sloths living free over visitors space.

A skizza of future restaurant and cafe is also shown.

It looks like the zoo is down to 4 full-time employees (not counting the owner, and most probably external vet).

Text mentions how good their breeding success with ruffed lemurs is, And how endangered this species is on Madagascar. But it leaves out that the whole group is hybrid between red ruffed lemurs and black and white lemurs. Tiny detail /s
Source
 
I saw a lot of hybrid Varis in the old monkey cages in April This year!

The sad issue is that those hybrid varis are then sold to other small private zoos who then continue to breed them. I have had already 1-2 negative surprises when a local roadside zoo advertised new vari lemurs only to then see they just obtained hybrids. It gets even a little dangerous because some bred animals turn out rather pale and very similar to pure-bred black-and-white lemurs so it can get impossible in future to distinguish them from each other. I hope the EEP is avare and doesnt include captive animals from outside EEP into their program in future.
 
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